Facebook is the world's most popular social networking website. Connecting and sharing with family, friends, colleagues, clients, students and potential new contacts is made easy with this free and open social tool. Users can control their level of privacy and visibility through management of their account settings.
Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. People use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet.
Facebook is made up of six primary components: personal profiles, status updates, networks (geographic regions, schools, companies), groups, applications and fan pages. When Facebook launched the fan pages concept in November 2007, many universities jumped at the opportunity to create an official Facebook presence for their university. As of January 2008, there were 420 universities taking advantage of this new feature (Cheater 2008). “Fan Pages” are now called simply “Pages”, and they are similar to personal profiles, but can be used by organizations. Pages include such features as timeline posts, discussion boards, photos, videos, and many other applications.
People who view your Page can choose to “like” your organization, and this shows on their personal profile page, for their friends to see. This creates a viral marketing effect — when one of their friends sees they’ve “liked” another organization that interests them, they may be more inclined to “like” that organization themselves.
Facebook Pages also offer organizations the ability to communicate with their audience directly through text, images, videos and links. Organizations can also do paid promotion of posts on their Page or of the Page itself, and target that promotion to specific audiences based on demographics, geography, and interests. Facebook Pages also offer Insights(https://www.facebook.com/help/336893449723054), which are detailed analytics about how people are accessing and interacting with the content on your Page.
FACEBOOK: A Glossary of Terms (The “Important” Ones)
1. Friend: The people with whom you connect (or “Friend”), share content and updates. You can send Friend requests to other Facebook members. You also receive Friend requests from other members which you can accept, decline or ignore.
2. Status Update: is an update feature which allows users to discuss their thoughts, whereabouts, or important information with their friends. When a status is updated, it posts on the user's Timeline, as well as in the news feeds of their friends.
3. Like: You can click the Like link on any status update to show that you like the content. Your “likes” will appear on your Timeline (see #8 below). You may also Like a Facebook Page (see #13 below).
4. Comment: In addition to “liking” a post, you can include a comment.
5. Messages: These are similar to private email messages. They appear in your Facebook Inbox and can include text messages, chats, emails and mobile messages from your Friends.
6. News Feed: Your News Feed is the continually appended feed of status updates that appears on your Profile home page. It shows the most recent activities from your Friends and Pages that you follow.
7. Profile: Facebook refers to your Profile as your complete picture and story on Facebook. It includes your Profile picture, biography, personal information, and more. Your Profile can be public or private. It’s your personal piece of “real estate” on Facebook.
8. Timeline: shows all of your updates and activities in reverse chronological order.
9. Chat: send and receive instant messages with Friends without leaving Facebook using this feature.
10. Event: Use the Events feature to organize events, gather RSVPs and respond to events that you’re invited to.
11. Group: can be created by any Facebook member and provide a space where smaller groups of people can come together to discuss specific topics. Groups can be public or private. You become a part of group and receive updates by Joining the group.
12. Page: a space on Facebook for brands, businesses, organizations and entertainers.
13. Tags: You can tag a Friend in photos and posts that you publish.
14. Cover Picture: the large horizontal photo at the top of your timeline.
15. Profile Picture: the small photo in the far lower left corner of your Cover Picture. It will show up every time you post a comment or status update.